The tsunami has laid bare ,in one fell swoop, all the pretensions

[KlatooBNikto]

and vanities of our ruling classes to be nothing but empty boasts.This natural calamity, if anything, should make it clear to all of us that beneath all the differences we create in our minds there is our common humanity.The tourists, the celebrities, the people of the coastal regions of all the affected countries were as one against the rushing wall of water.In a world grown smaller, it makes less and less sense to talk about religious and racial differences.Hopefully, the tsunami will wake us up.

From the Swedish boy left orphaned to the mother in India who cried
"why has the Almighty taken my girl away from me?" we are as one in our suffering.

[evolvenow]

1. Beautifully written. It is our most urgent evolution...to love one another

to protect, and view the world as our family.

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

2. Amen

Raise us above the distinctions and differences which divide us.

We are one people, one humanity. Variety should be something that is of interest, but not the basis of hatred.

[xchrom]

3. i am not the same as a conservative christian.

i appreciate your point -- but i draw the line at willful hate.
i offer money and help at times like these -- but when i go home or i'm at any space by myself -- i'm not them -- not now -- not ever.

[Skittles]

4. I see little coming from the Bush admin to indicate they see the oneness

not at all. I agree this calamity SHOULD make people think about their pettiness - but WILL it? I very much doubt it.

[JI7]

6. based on their petty attack on Clinton for his comments

on helping the Tsunami victims i don't see much change coming from them either.

[Skittles]

8. Bush is still on vacaton and has not addressed the nation

it's obscene

[izzie]

15. It is almost like they are the mean Christian Right.

odd

[malaise]

5. Really now

so why are Western aircraft landing in droves to pick up tourists, who in the main have long ignored the poor people along the coastal stretches of the planet.

How come so many of these poor coastal people never had fresh water and electricity while hotels always have service.

Yes all classes died together - nature is like that - but who do you think are receiving the most attention during this catastrophe - the tourists or the poor locals?

[KlatooBNikto]

7. You are correct that even a calamity as great as this does not

guarantee that wisdom will be awakened in all of us. We must hope that some of the Western tourists who were beneficiaries of the generous spirit of the poor people of the coastal regions will be the ones who will begin the process of change.Some of the news reports indicate that process of change is already beginning.One step at a time. Centuries of division, indifference and apathy cannot even be erased by this mammoth calamity.

[dave123williams]

9. Bush seems to have been shamed in to action by Clinton.

His initial response, of course, was to go on vacation. His lip-service to the concept of compassion has been front and center over the last two days; yet another opportunity to demonstrate the good intentions of the United States wasted by our arrogant fratboy-in-cheif.

[KlatooBNikto]

10. With the "tough guy" image the order of the day, even a show of

empathy for the victims of the natural disaster, especially the brown skinned ones, would be seen as a sign of weakness by his supporters.Had to be avoided at all costs.

[Walt Starr]

11. 70,000 dead now

Expect a t least a quarter million, maybe as many as half a million.

[KlatooBNikto]

12. I would not doubt it. These are some of the most heavily populated

areas of the earth.

[Enraged_Ape]

13. Humanity is best when imperiled; when things are easy we're horrible

For millions of years, we ran from elements and predators as if our lives depended on it, because they did. We were forced to work together, developing strength from the community and a spiritual respect for our tenuous grasp on life.

Then artificial social structures where set up, wherein certain groups had luxury and power over others, and it's been downhill ever since.

"Busy hands are happy hands; idol hands are the devil's workshop."

[mhr]

14. Wonderful Sentiment - Keep Dreaming

After all the bodies are buried, the world will go back to its usual pretensions.

The affectations of concern shown by the wealthy will quickly vanish like the running sand on a lost Sri Lanka beach.

[Selatius]

16. Here is a philosophical situation I pose:

Suppose I gave you the power to save lives by flying around and touching people with your index finger to teleport them somewhere safe because of an impending disaster. Now, suppose I also gave you the ability to see into the soul of each and every person you come across.

You run into bigots, murderers, and rapists along with doctors, teachers, businessmen, etc. as you fly around. Would you save them all? Or would you just save the ones purest of soul and leave the rest to be swept away in nature's fury? Obviously, the answer seems simple enough to any conscientious reader, but there's a twist.

Suppose I also gave you the ability to see into their futures, and one you come across one who is relatively pure of heart today, but you see that 45 years into the future, he will kick start a chain reaction that will end in an immense war that will claim tens of millions of souls before it is over.

You only get to see each person's probable future given present day conditions if he or she is saved now, not their true absolute future, so there is a very fair level of inaccuracy but not such that this ability is totally unreliable. There is a chance the war might not even happen.

The question is would you discriminate at all with that person or any person among the ones you have the power to save? Or would you save them all? Would you risk saving this person in the hopes that that future war can be avoided? Or would you condemn him now for something he may or may not do in the future and avoid the issue altogether?

[hexola]

17. God sure has made a fool out of Bush and his puny war...

God to Bush:

"Can you hear me now?"